


Downstairs

by thegirloverseas



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV), The White Queen (Evendale)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fic within a Fic, In-universe shipping, The Secret Life of Lord and Lady Marquina's Servants, featuring characters you don't know yet but will hopefully care about, fic-ception, they're adorable I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:14:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirloverseas/pseuds/thegirloverseas
Summary: A year in the life of Lord and Lady Marquina's staff.(A "The White Queen" fan fic)
Comments: 44
Kudos: 120





	1. Summer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Evendale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evendale/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The White Queen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25527478) by [Evendale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evendale/pseuds/Evendale). 



> So here I was, minding my own business... and then that chambermaid passed Sergio and Raquel in the hallway and then I just kinda HAD TO write this. I HAD TO! I blame Evendale. (Also, apparently, I have to give Loreak credit for planting this idea in my head weeks ago :D)
> 
> Before we get going, here's a little bit of a key to understanding who is who (since, I guess, you don't remember the specifics of how many servants Sergio and Raquel employ at what point and who is who...)
> 
> Mrs. Wilson - housekeeper  
> Mrs. Roberts - cook  
> Annie - Raquel's lady's maid  
> Daisy and Sarah - chambermaids who work there before Raquel moves in (they're also best friends)  
> Philip - footman who works there before Raquel moves in  
> Jane and Mary - chambermaids hired by Raquel  
> John, Tom, William - footmen hired by Raquel
> 
> If anyone feels compelled to write a fanfiction for this fanfiction, ABSOLUTELY PLEASE DO, I'd love a fic-ception :D
> 
> And now for the most important part: IT'S EVENDALE'S BIRTHDAY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! ♥️♥️♥️ YOU'RE THE ABSOLUTE BEST AND I LOVE YOU!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“I wonder what she is like,” Mrs. Roberts said.

“Who?”

“That girl he wants to marry.”

“What’s it to you?” Mrs. Wilson asked, frowning.

“Well, aren’t you curious?”

“Not particularly, no.”

There was something about the situation that concerned her.

“Oh, come on.”

A silence followed and Mrs. Roberts looked at Mrs. Wilson expectantly. Mrs. Wilson sighed.

“To be entirely honest with you, I pity the poor thing. I have a feeling she’s not going to be happy here.”

“Oh, cheer up,” Mrs. Roberts said, but Mrs. Wilson shook her head.

“I’m not sure why his Lordship is suddenly so keen on marrying. He never struck me as the marrying kind.”

Mrs. Roberts laughed, but Mrs. Wilson gave her a look.

“You know him,” she said seriously. “Up there in his study all day. Barely looks at women. And now he’s suddenly in a rush to marry. He barely even knows the girl.”

“Maybe a love bug bit him,” Mrs. Roberts said lightly.

“I doubt it. I rather think it has something to do with his brother.”

“How so?”

“He came here the other night. I didn’t see him, but he was pretty roughed up I heard.”

“And what does that have to do with Lord Marquina?”

“You don’t think it’s peculiar that Lord de Fonollosa turns up here one day, all bruised up, and the next day Lord Marquina rushes into the city to get engaged?”

“Well, if you put it like that…” Mrs. Roberts sighed. “I suppose there might be a connection.”

“I just hope she knows what she’s agreeing to.”

“Lord Marquina is not a dishonest man.”

“That’s true. He’s one of the good ones. I’m just afraid he’s not the _right_ one.”

“Who knows why she agreed to this union… Perhaps she knows.”

Mrs. Wilson gave her a sad smile. “I hope so.”

Still, Mrs. Wilson couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Perhaps Mrs. Roberts was correct, and the girl knew perfectly well what she had agreed to. She supposed they’d find out eventually.

* * *

“Well, and here you have the servants’ quarters,” Mrs. Wilson announced, swinging the door open and extended her hand inwards.

“It’s quite nice!”

“It’s nothing special, but it’s decent,” Mrs. Wilson agreed. “This is your room, Annie. Daisy should bring you linen, sheets, and a couple of towels in a little while.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” Annie said and smiled, then she swung her suitcase on her bed and snapped it open.

Mrs. Wilson nodded and turned to leave. But then she thought better of it and addressed Lady Marquina’s lady’s maid again.

“Oh, and Annie, we have dinner at eight. It’s just Daisy, Sarah, Philip, Mrs. Roberts, and me, but we’d love to have you.”

Annie smiled. “Eight o’clock,” she repeated.

Mrs. Wilson nodded once more.

“Is there anything else I should know?” Annie inquired, noticing that Mrs. Wilson was still standing in the doorway.

“Well… no,” Mrs. Wilson said. “I was just wondering… what kind of person is Lady Marquina?”

“How do you mean?”

“Does she require anything out of the ordinary?”

“No, she’s rather undemanding,” Annie smiled.

“Alright,” Mrs. Wilson said. “Still, if you can think of anything we can do to make her life here more comfortable, let me know.”

“Thank you so much,” Annie replied. “I wonder…”

Mrs. Wilson looked at her expectantly, and Annie hesitated for a moment before she continued.

“I wonder if there is something I should know about his Lordship.”

“He’s quiet. Keeps to himself. Very easy to work for. Perhaps a little too solitary, but he prefers it that way.”

“Any… any problems of any kind?”

“No, none at all. You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Mrs. Wilson smiled. “He’s an honest, decent man, very fair, and quite progressive, if I may say so.”

Annie nodded. “He doesn’t seem entirely comfortable, especially around women?”

“No,” Mrs. Wilson sighed, but then added, “he’s been living alone most of his life. He’s just not particularly social.”

Mrs. Wilson turned to leave again and moved back to the kitchen, worried again. She had only seen Lady Marquina once when she had emerged from the carriage with her husband and she had delegated the servants carrying her luggage inside. She seemed like a sweet girl, but the look on her face as she took in her new environment had been worrisome. There had been joy on her face, and the few stolen glances at her husband seemed concerning, too.

She sat down at the kitchen table, determined to go through the books, but the feeling remained.

“So? You’ve met her. What is she like?” Mrs. Roberts asked, approaching her.

“I wouldn’t say that I’ve really met her.”

“That doesn’t sound very enthusiastic.”

“The girl seems sweet. Intelligent. Modest. But that’s what worries me.”

“You worry too much.”

“You’ve always been more of an optimist than me, Mrs. Roberts.”

“You should have more faith in his Lordship. Just let them settle in, give them some time…”

* * *

“The poor thing has lunch by herself,” Sarah whispered. “Sometimes I want to invite her to have lunch with us.”

Daisy sighed. “No, it wouldn’t be proper.”

“But something has to be done. It’s not right that she has to sit there by herself, all alone in that dining room.”

“But what can we do? Unless we really invite her to eat with us. Though Mrs. Wilson would sack us on the spot,” Daisy laughed.

“Yes, we should be careful while Mrs. Wilson is hiring more staff,” Sarah agreed, grinning. “Two more chambermaids, three footmen, another gardener, and even two scullery maids.”

“Whatever for? Nothing ever happens here!”

“Maybe it will,” Sarah smiled. “But ah, can you imagine? Actual people coming here.”

“Actually, no, I can’t,” Daisy laughed, and Sarah playfully nudged her with her elbow.

“Just imagine. All kinds of lords and ladies coming here. Perhaps a duke or two. Not just Lord and Lady de Fonollosa.”

“I heard Lord de Fonollosa’s the reason they got married in the first place.”

“Is that so?”

“Apparently, his brother had some problems marrying a rich girl could solve.”

“No!” Sarah gasped.

“If only she were mean or ugly. But she’s so kind! And beautiful!” Daisy sighed.

“I went up there the other day to help her undress, and she asked me all kinds of things about my family, if I liked it here and if I wasn’t working too hard,” Sarah agreed.

“I hate to say this because Lord Marquina is a decent man, but she deserves so much better.”

“She does.”

“And yet I think she likes him,” Daisy said.

“Yeah, that’s the real tragedy. I think that’s why she married him.”

* * *

“She has lunch with Lady Godfrey every day now,” Jane said, sitting down at the table.

“Bless her,” Sarah said. “At least she found someone she can talk to.”

“Lady Godfrey is an interesting character.”

Sarah grinned. “She sure is.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“What’s up with Lord and Lady Marquina?”

“Ah,” Sarah made and nodded.

“Philip told me she and Lord Marquina barely speak to each other. Do you think something happened between them?” Jane asked, frowning.

“Like what?”

“Like… I don’t know… maybe they had a disagreement and that’s why they’re not talking,” Jane suggested.

“I don’t think so. He’s always been like this,” Sarah explained. “You’ve only been here for a short while, so you wouldn’t know, but he likes to keep to himself. The only visitors he’s had in the last decade were his brother and his family. And I am not entirely convinced he enjoys that either.”

“But why would he marry her then? If he doesn’t even want her here.”

“Well, now you’re asking the right questions,” Sarah smiled knowingly.

Jane shook her head. “I don’t follow.”

“Apparently they have some sort of agreement, but I’m not sure she knows what that entails.”

“How can they have an agreement if she doesn’t know what it means?” Jane asked, visibly confused.

Sarah shrugged. “I really don’t know. But there is nothing we can do about it and it’s not really our business or our place to ask.”

“What about Lady Marquina’s lady’s maid?”

“What about her?”

“She’s got to know something about this. Maybe you could ask her?”

Sarah laughed. “Me? Why me?”

“I would ask her myself, but I don’t really know her.”

“What makes you think I do?”

“Well, you’ve been here longer than I have…” Jane said hesitantly. “So I thought… you know…”

Sarah mulled it over for a moment. She had to admit she was curious, and she had thought about asking Annie herself. But then something had always kept her from doing it. Though Annie seemed friendly enough… perhaps she wouldn’t mind if Sarah asked her about her Ladyship.

* * *

“Go.”

“I don’t know anymore,” Sarah said, fidgeting with her hands, and peered into the room Annie was in.

“No, no, don’t think about it for too long, just do it!” Daisy urged.

Sarah turned around and gave Daisy an indignant look. “You do it if you want to know so badly.”

“I’m sorry,” Daisy whispered. “But come on, what are you afraid of?”

Sarah sighed and turned around again.

“The worst that can happen is that she will tell you that it’s none of your business.”

“Right.”

Sarah supposed that Daisy was right, after all. She had agreed to the plan – there was really no reason why she should feel this way. Still, she suddenly felt nervous, though she couldn’t quite say why. Before she could examine the feeling, however, Daisy had given her a push and she stumbled into the room.

“Sarah,” Annie said, surprised, laying the gown she was repairing down on the bed.

“Hello,” Sarah replied.

“Can I… help you?” Annie asked and looked at Sarah expectantly.

“I… I… no, I just… wanted to fluff the pillows,” Sarah said hastily, but she stood there, frozen to the spot, as Annie frowned and curiously looked her up and down. Then, Annie chuckled.

“The others sent you, right?” Annie concluded, and Sarah nodded vaguely. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m afraid you won’t get anything out of me.”

“I understand. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come here.”

“Oh, no, don’t worry. I get it. I think I’d be curious too if I were you.”

Finally, Sarah felt herself relax a little, and she nodded and stepped a little closer.

“But I can’t betray her trust like that.”

“I understand,” Sarah replied.

“I appreciate that you care, though,” Annie said and gave her a thankful smile, and Sarah found herself smiling back, nearly forgetting everything else. Then, she shook herself.

“How long have you been Lady Marquina’s lady’s maid?”

“About five years,” Annie replied.

“You know her pretty well then,” Sarah said.

“I like to think we’re something like friends,” Annie smiled.

“That’s nice. She seems like a lovely person.”

“I think so, too,” Annie said, still smiling, and picked up the dress again.

“She’s lucky to have you,” Sarah said without thinking.

“Why is that?” Annie asked and looked at her, and suddenly Sarah felt like Annie’s eyes could peer into her soul.

“Well,” Sarah said, blushing slightly, “you seem like a lovely person, too.”

There was something in Annie’s expression now that Sarah couldn’t quite interpret, and she quickly looked away.

“Thank you,” Annie finally said, then added, “I guess that makes three of us then.”

* * *

“Can you believe we’re going to have an actual ball?” Daisy breathed.

“I’ll believe it when I see it!” Philip said and grinned at Daisy.

“Well, you better believe it because you have work to do, and not just a little bit. So move it!” Mrs. Wilson said, gently pushing them towards the stairs. “The hall won’t clean itself.”

Philip and Daisy grinned and ran up the stairs, carrying a feather duster, a mop, and rags they’d use to clean the hall.

“Mrs. Wilson told me she doesn’t even remember the last time they had any event like this here and she’s been here for ages!”

“Yeah, some of this furniture hasn’t been moved in decades,” Philip agreed and went to work on one of the pieces to the side of the hall.

“How exciting! Do you think we’ll find anything interesting?”

Philip laughed. “I highly doubt it,” he said dryly.

They worked diligently for a while, jointly pushing furniture around and vigorously cleaning every surface and crevice.

“Do you think her being here will change anything?” she eventually asked quietly.

“I think she’s already very obviously changing things,” Philip said with a half-smile on his lips, gesturing broadly at their surroundings.

“No, but I mean for him.”

“The way he’s determined to avoid her and carry on with his life as if he never married in the first place? I don’t think so.”

“But her presence must have an effect on him. He can’t just ignore her existence.”

“He doesn’t seem all that changed to me.”

“It’s not even been two months,” Daisy said. “Surely you can’t be expected to just… change your life overnight?”

“Not if you ignore all your problems and live in denial.”

“How cruel.”

Philip gave her a sad smile.

“I do feel like maybe I’ve seen him smile more,” he said.

“Are you making that up?” Daisy asked and abruptly stopped cleaning the commode she was working on.

“No,” Philip said honestly. “But it’s just a feeling I had.”

“Well,” she huffed, “it’s the least he can do.”

“Why do you care so much?”

“Because I feel for her,” she said quietly. “No one deserves to be treated like that. It’s just not right.”

* * *

“She just up and left him,” Jane said. “I can’t believe it.”

“Where did she even go?” Tom asked.

“To stay with Lady Godfrey in London. At least that’s what I heard,” Sarah said.

“Good for her,” Daisy said half aloud.

“Daisy!” Mary exclaimed, aghast.

“What? I rather like Lady Godfrey,” Daisy said and shrugged.

“She’s somewhat… unconventional,” John said a little hesitantly.

“And perhaps that’s why I like her,” Daisy countered, grinning. “Maybe it’s a good thing she went away, who knows.”

“You don’t mean that,” Sarah replied.

“What’s going to happen now, though?” Jane asked.

“I heard Lady de Fonollosa suggest an annulment,” Philip said.

“But that means they’ve never…”

Sarah nodded. “I don’t think he’s touched her. He’s barely even talked to her either.”

“No wonder she left,” Jane said.

Silence followed.

“Oh, this makes me so sad,” Mary spoke into the quiet.

“Well, there is nothing we can do,” Philip sighed.

* * *

“The house feels so empty without her. Lifeless somehow,” Jane said.

Sarah smoothed out the sheet she had laid over the mattress, then went to work on the pillows.

“Worse than that,” Sarah added.

“What do you mean?” Jane asked and when she looked at Sarah, she saw her frown.

“I just mean that before she came here, this was our normal. And I didn’t mind it much then, but now that we’ve gotten to see what it could be like?”

“I agree,” Jane said.

“And I don’t mean the ball or Lady Marquina’s visitors.”

“If it’s any comfort to you, I think he’s grieving her absence a little, too,” Jane said, fluffing up the pillows.

“It’s been weeks now, but I don’t see him making any efforts to win her back.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to,” Jane said. “Maybe he doesn’t know how to.”

She supposed out of the two it was rather that he didn’t know how. Tom had told her that he had seen him write letters to her, but that he had never sent them.

Sarah nodded. “But you’re right, he appears changed. Restless somehow.”

“I hear he takes long walks now. Maybe that helps him clear his head.”

The few times she had seen and interacted with Lord Marquina by now had only consolidated what she had already known about him – that he was somewhat serious, studious, and that he preferred to spend day after day in his study. But in these last few weeks, he had seemed changed, leaving his study ever so often to wander around the house only to return a little while later.

“Do you think he wants her to come back?” Sarah asked.

“That’s a good question.”


	2. Autumn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola!
> 
> Here is the next installment of Downstairs! I am so glad you all liked the first part so much!
> 
> For this chapter, I once again have to thank my betas, Evendale and Loreak. I'm truly blessed to have both of you!   
> Thank you, Loreak, for helping me with the fine-tuning, for fangirling over Sarah and Annie, and for your constant help and support! ♥️♥️♥️  
> Thank you, Evendale for helping me develop the servants' personalities more, for helping me improve my writing, and for always being there for me! ♥️ And also, happy birth month! ♥️♥️♥️ 
> 
> As a reminder, once again, here are the names of the characters:
> 
> Mrs. Wilson - housekeeper  
> Mrs. Roberts - cook  
> Annie - Raquel's lady's maid  
> Daisy and Sarah - chambermaids who work there before Raquel moves in (they're also best friends)  
> Philip - footman who works there before Raquel moves in  
> Jane and Mary - chambermaids hired by Raquel  
> John, Tom, William - footmen hired by Raquel
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Daisy!”

Daisy turned in her bed, pressing her face deeper into her pillow.

“Hey! Daisy! Wake up!”

“What do you want?” she murmured grouchily.

“I think I heard Lady Godfrey outside!” Sarah whispered.

“You’re dreaming. Go back to sleep.”

“No, I’m sure I heard her!”

“What is she doing here?”

“That I am not sure about… I imagine it has something to do with Lady Marquina?”

Daisy sat upright in her bed.

“Do you think she’s in trouble?”

“I’m not sure, I couldn’t really understand what she said.”

“Look,” she said, pointing at something outside of their window.

And as Daisy glanced out of the window, she saw Lord Marquina ride into the night.

“Well, now I’m worried,” Daisy said, a concerned look on her face.

“Quick, get dressed so we can ask Tom.”

They quickly got dressed and hurried into the main house.

“Tom!” Sarah whispered, and they watched Tom look around, a surprised look on his face when he found them in the other corner of the room.

“What are you doing here?” he whispered back, walking over to them.

“We want to know what happened.”

They saw Tom hesitating, casting a careful look towards the library.

“Please,” Daisy added.

“Alright. Lady Godfrey came in demanding to speak to Lord Marquina,” he started. “So I directed her towards the library and she stormed in, saying that Lady Marquina had taken off with some count… the name sounded foreign… Spanish…”

“Goodness,” Sarah said.

“What did he say?” Daisy pressed.

“He said he didn’t want to stand in the way of his wife’s happiness.”

“Oh,” Daisy said, somewhat surprised.

“And then?”

“Then she gave him a letter and said the count had done this before.”

“Do you know what was in the letter?” Sarah asked.

“No. He left rather abruptly after that.”

He looked back over his shoulder towards the library once more.

“Lady Godfrey is still in there.”

“Well, it couldn’t have been good if it convinced him to go?” Daisy finally said quietly.

The other two nodded.

“You don’t think that the Count would…” Sarah started, her expression deeply worried.

“He left in quite a hurry, so I think it must be serious,” Tom said.

“This makes me terribly anxious,” Daisy said, and Sarah nodded. “Do you think he can convince her to come back?”

“I hope so,” Sarah said.

“And does _he_ want her to come back?”

“I think he’s been thinking about her, too,” Tom said. “I saw some letters on his desk, addressed to her. But I don’t think he ever sent them.”

Sarah shook her head.

“I don’t understand what it is with these two.”

“Does anyone?”

Daisy sighed and suppressed a yawn.

“You should go back to bed.”

“Yeah,” Sarah nodded and turned to go, taking Daisy by the hand. “We should. Thank you, Tom.”

* * *

“I don’t think I can sleep until they get back,” Daisy sighed, staring up at the ceiling in the dark.

“Neither can I,” Sarah said.

“Do you think she’s going to be happier here now?”

“I’ve been wondering the same.”

“I mean, he _has_ changed, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah, I think he has. I believe he misses her in his own way.”

“What if she doesn’t come back with him?” Daisy said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“What if she doesn’t _want_ to come back? After everything that’s happened? What if that’s why she went with the Count in the first place?”

“I mean, it’s certainly an option, but… I think Lady Marquina might still be in love with Lord Marquina. That sort of thing doesn’t just disappear…”

“Do you think she can forgive him?”

“I think so,” Sarah answered.

“Why?”

“I just have a feeling. I think she’s still in love with him.”

“But how do you know?” Daisy asked, propped her head up on her arm, and looked at Sarah.

“It’s just… why do you think she left?” Sarah asked, turning to Daisy.

“Because he wasn’t a good husband?”

“Well, yeah, but I think it’s more than that.”

“Why do you say that?”

“It was the way she left. Have you been in her room?”

“Briefly.”

“Then you’ve seen her dress on the bed and that book on the nightstand?”

“Yes.”

“Well… It’s just a suspicion I have, but… if you think about it… he never touched her, he mostly ignored her. And when Lady de Fonollosa was still here, I overheard her tell Lady Marquina that her husband had only married her for money. But she didn’t leave, even after that. She didn’t give up.”

“Then what do you think happened to make her give up?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Don’t you think that maybe she had just had enough?”

“Maybe… but she endured all of this. She finally knew who she married. And she still stayed. It just makes me think that maybe something else must have happened.”

Suddenly, Sarah sat up.

“Do you hear that?”

They both stayed quiet for a moment, but the sounds were unmistakably there, growing louder and nearer: hooves on gravel.

“They’re back!” Daisy said and rushed to the window.

They saw Lord and Lady Marquina together on Hunter, Lord Marquina in the front and Lady Marquina in the back, her arms around his middle, her head leaning against his back.

“Look at them,” Daisy whispered.

Lord Marquina got off the horse, then helped his wife down, too, and they walked into the house as John took care of the horse.

“She’s back,” Sarah smiled.

* * *

“A duel?” Daisy repeated.

“Yes,” Jane said, gesturing for her to be quieter, “a duel.”

“When?” Daisy asked, quieter.

“Tomorrow morning,” Jane answered.

“But… why?” Sarah breathed.

“To defend her honor, or at least that’s what Tom told me.”

“Oh no,” Sarah whispered.

“Surely that means he cares about her now?” Daisy asked.

“He always struck me as a reasonable man, so a duel – not even just participating in one but _challenging_ the Count to one – seems a bit drastic for him,” Sarah said.

“But then that means he cares for her, doesn’t it?” Daisy repeated.

“I think so,” Sarah answered.

“Maybe in his own way he has always cared about her,” Jane added.

“I’m all for Lord Marquina dueling the Count. It’s kinda romantic, don’t you think?” Daisy asked.

“Daisy,” Sarah said quietly, “Lord Marquina might die.”

“What’s going to happen to us if he… if he dies?” Mary asked. “We’re all going to lose our jobs, aren’t we?”

“I think so,” Jane said hesitantly. “I don’t imagine Lady Marquina is going to stay here all by herself.”

Mary started shaking her head, worry in her eyes. “That can’t happen. It can’t.”

They all fell silent until they heard footsteps approaching, and Tom and Philip appeared in the room.

“Tom! Is it true?”

Tom looked around at the faces of the chambermaids, then nodded. “Yes. Apparently the Count held Lady Marquina against her will, so they’re going to duel in the morning.”

“I can’t believe it,” Mary whispered.

“Honestly, I sooner would have expected Lord de Fonollosa to engage in a duel… I always thought he’d be the one who'd get shot in a duel one day. He seems like the kind of person who would enjoy that sort of thing, not Lord Marquina,” Sarah said.

“So what exactly is going to happen tomorrow?”

“I don’t know any of the specifics,” Tom shrugged. “But Lord Marquina and Lord de Fonollosa are probably going to meet with the Count and his second and then they’re going to try to solve things… one way or another. That’s how these things usually work, so this one shouldn’t be any different… If they haven’t agreed on weapons already, they might do that, too. And then they duel.”

“A duel is never not dangerous,” Sarah said. “I imagine Lord Marquina was sensible about this, but suppose the Count really injures him.”

“Personally, I don’t understand how anyone could risk their life in a duel,” Tom said. “It seems rather reckless.”

Philip’s gaze drifted to Daisy.

“For the right girl, I would” he said quietly.

“I don’t even want to think about that,” Mary whispered, casting a worried look at the other chambermaids.

“I know this is terribly dangerous, but I like that he finally stands up for her,” Daisy said quietly.

“Let’s just hope he’s not injured. Maybe the Count is a terrible marksman,” Jane suggested, but she didn’t sound entirely convinced herself.

A moment of silence followed as they all looked at each other a little helplessly.

“Poor Lady Marquina,” Sarah sighed.

“She must be terrified,” Daisy agreed and nodded solemnly.

“Lord Marquina asked Lady Godfrey to look after his wife in his absence,” Tom said.

“At least she has some company,” Philip nodded.

“I doubt that that would make up for…” Jane started.

“Don’t even say it!” Sarah interjected, then took a deep breath. “It’s all going to turn out just fine.”

* * *

“I don’t like this,” Mrs. Roberts said.

“Me neither,” Mrs. Wilson said soberly.

She watched for a while as Mrs. Roberts walked up and down the kitchen table.

“I don’t like this at all.”

“Will you sit down? You’re making me nervous.”

“I’m sorry,” Mrs. Roberts said, sitting down, and sighed. “It seems so unlike him to entertain that sort of behavior… so brutish.”

“And yet he did.”

“I just don’t understand why he would put himself in a position like that. A duel isn’t helping anyone. Now he’s injured, and for what?”

“Well, there is nothing to be done now,” Mrs. Wilson said.

“No, I don’t suppose there is,” Mrs. Roberts replied

“Though I have to admit, despite everything, I’m just a little bit proud of Lord Marquina.”

Mrs. Roberts gave her a half-smile. “And why is that?”

“Because he acted with honor, and he defended his wife. And… he shot the Count… so at least that scoundrel got a little bit of what he deserved,” Mrs. Wilson answered, a smile on her lips.

Mrs. Roberts ran a hand over her eyes.

“Though I wish Lord Marquina had survived unscathed,” Mrs. Wilson added. “But the doctor said he should be fine.”

Mrs. Roberts sighed.

“And he has Lady Marquina to look after him.”

“What a way to welcome her back,” Mrs. Roberts replied quietly, and heaved a sigh.

“He’s going to be fine. Lady Marquina is not going to let him die.”

“No,” Mrs. Roberts chuckled slightly, shaking her head, “that she won’t.”

“See?” Mrs. Wilson smiled. “I have faith in her.”

“Yes,” Mrs. Roberts said, shaking her head, “by some miracle, she still loves him.”

* * *

“Do you think there is something going on between Lord and Lady Marquina?” Daisy asked.

“What do you mean?” Mary asked.

“Don’t they seem, I don’t know… _closer_?”

“They do spend a lot of time together now,” Jane mused.

“Much more than before!”

“To be fair, he _is_ recovering from a gunshot wound,” Jane laughed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“But we all know how he got that wound.”

“So you think something changed?” Mary said.

Daisy shrugged. “I mean, how can it not? He went and got himself shot for her.”

“Maybe she just wants to take care of his wound seeing as he got shot defending her honor. Maybe there isn’t more to it than that,” Jane suggested.

“Yes, maybe those are just accidental acts of devotion,” Daisy said and smirked.

Jane laughed.

“Why did he have to defend her honor anyway?” Mary asked. “I thought nothing really happened.”

“Apparently the Count wouldn’t let her leave,” Jane explained.

“It’s so unlike Lord Marquina to engage in a duel,” Mary objected.

“I suppose he wanted to make up for something,” Daisy answered.

“Yeah, I could see that,” Jane agreed. “But let’s just… take a deep breath and wait.”

“I’m tired of waiting… I just want something to happen.”

* * *

“There is definitely something going on,” Daisy said, letting herself fall into a chair, giving Sarah a meaningful look. “They went out into the forest and I think they were _this_ close to kissing each other.”

“How do you know all that?” Sarah asked.

“I work in mysterious ways,” Daisy grinned, but then she heard Philip chuckle.

“Did it occur to you in a dream?” Philip asked, mirroring her grin.

“Oh, ha-ha! Very funny!”

“You two,” Sarah laughed.

“Well, laugh all you want, Philip, but I know what I know.”

“Please, delight me then.”

Daisy narrowed her eyes at him, but then Sarah joined in:

“Please, I want to know, too!”

Daisy gave Philip another careful look. “John Goodfellow saw them in the woods.”

“The groundskeeper?” Philip asked, surprised.

“Yes.”

“Why did he tell you?”

“Daisy brings him food from the kitchen sometimes,” Sarah said, and Philip’s face lit up with realization, but then he frowned again.

“I still find it hard to believe that he’d tell anyone anything.”

“What can I say? I enchant and delight everyone I meet,” Daisy quipped.

Philip opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again and smiled at her, shaking his head.

* * *

“Addiction,” Mrs. Wilson sighed, sinking down in her chair, rubbing her temple.

“Yeah, that was quite something, and this early in the day, too,” Mrs. Roberts replied, walking towards the pantry.

“It’s what killed his mother.”

Mrs. Roberts stopped in her tracks and turned to Mrs. Wilson.

“I didn’t know that.”

“That was before your time here. Quite a sad story, really. He was only just fifteen. I can’t imagine what he must be going through right now.”

“This is starting to feel like one of those periodicals, except we’re living it, and it keeps getting sadder.”

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat behind them.

“Sarah! I didn’t see you standing there,” Mrs. Roberts exclaimed.

“Daisy and I are going to start with the sandwiches. Do you need help with anything else?”

“No, I have the scullery maids to help me with the rest. Thank you, Sarah.”

Sarah smiled at her, then vanished into the kitchen.

“I don’t want the servants to gossip about this. This is all bad enough as it is.”

“I’m afraid they have a mind of their own,” Mrs. Roberts smiled.

Mrs. Wilson shook her head. “I suppose you’re right. I just dislike that Lord and Lady Marquina’s life has become some sort of source of entertainment for them.”

* * *

“Annie?”

Sarah carefully pushed the door to Annie’s room open and peered inside.

“Annie, are you alright?”

She found Annie crying on the bed, her face buried in her hands. Without hesitation, Sarah walked over to where she was, sat down next to her and gave her a hug.

“I’m just so worried about her,” Annie whispered. “I should have seen, I should have known.”

“Hey,” taking Annie’s face into her hands, “you didn’t know. No one knew.”

“I still feel like I should have noticed something,” Annie said, and a tear fell on her cheek.

Sarah brushed the tear away with her thumb, then moved closer and embraced Annie once more.

“I have a feeling she’s going to be alright.”

“You don’t know that. We didn’t even know she was sick, how would we know that she’s going to be alright?”

“I just know,” Sarah said, leaning her head against Annie’s.

“Maybe I could have done something differently, maybe I could have…”

“It’s alright, you didn’t know. Doctors prescribe this all the time. You couldn’t have noticed.”

“Lord Marquina noticed.”

“He knew because he knows the effects the drug can have. He knew because his mother died from it.”

“She… _died_?” Annie asked, her eyes wide.

“Yes,” Sarah said hesitantly, “but it was an entirely different situation. Lady Marquina is going to be just fine, I promise. He knows what needs to be done, and he’s not going to let her die.”

* * *

“What do you think they do in that room all day?” Daisy asked.

“Well, like they said, they’re trying to get her through withdrawal,” Philip answered.

“But, like, what do they _do_? Does he hold her tightly in his arms? Does he kiss her pain away?” she sighed dramatically.

“You’re impossible,” Philip laughed.

“But you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. And they’re locked in that room for two entire days.”

“But I _do_ know Lord Marquina.”

“Think about it, Philip. First, he saves her from that guy, then she takes care of him after he is _tragically_ injured defending her honor, and now _this_? There is something in the air and I can smell it!”

“You’re delusional,” he grinned.


	3. Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola tod@s!
> 
> Here's the new chapter, I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> As always a huge thank you to my wonderful two betas, Evendale and Loreak! Thank you for your support and encouragement with this story! You're the best and I love you! ♥️
> 
> Thank you, Loreak, for being my Sannie hype girl! (Loreak is looking over my shoulder as I write this, so I think I am also legally obligated to tell you that she's amazing. :D) 
> 
> Thank you, Evendale, for always being there for me and for being the best friend ever! You're a wonderful person and I love you so so much! ♥️
> 
> Let me know what you think! :) ♥️

“I think you’re right,” Mrs. Wilson said thoughtfully. “He does seem changed to me.”

Mrs. Roberts said, smiling. “I always am.”

Mrs. Wilson shook her head, smiling.

“When they came out of that room, something was different.”

“Yes, he cares about her now,” Mrs. Wilson said with a smile, then she frowned and added: “Though I’m not quite sure if it was _enough_ …”

“How do you mean?”

“Of course Lady Marquina’s addiction to laudanum would make him emotional. His mother died from it… I’m not sure you could ever truly get over a thing like that…”

“I think it’s more than that, though,” Mrs. Roberts said.

“I would love for this to be true,” she said quietly.

“You saw his face when he told us,” Mrs. Roberts said smiling. “So serious. So concerned for her. He could have asked Annie to sit it out with her, or maybe he could have hired a nurse.”

Mrs. Wilson found herself nodding. She couldn’t deny there had been something in the way Lord Marquina had addressed his servants that had seemed, well, out of the ordinary, unusually concerned.

“Perhaps there is some truth to that,” she agreed and smiled, then shook herself out of her reverie and resolutely straightened up. “I do not want the servants gossiping about this. Not about her Ladyship’s addiction, nor about whatever is going on with his Lordship.”

“I’m not sure you can stop them from doing that. Besides, it’s not going to hurt anyone.”

“No, Mrs. Roberts, I’m putting my foot down. They ought to have some time to figure things out for themselves. They deserve their privacy.”

* * *

“It won’t be long now,” Sarah chirped, sitting down at the kitchen table with a knowing smile on her face.

“Oh please, not you too,” Philip said, amused.

“What do you mean?”

“Daisy has got it into her head that Lord and Lady Marquina are… up to something.”

“Do you think we’re wrong?” Sarah laughed.

He grinned, amused. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Philip, anyone with eyes can see what’s going on,” Daisy replied.

Philip chuckled. “Have you met Lord Marquina?”

Daisy threw him a challenging look. “I bet you five shillings they’re going to get together before their first anniversary.”

“Daisy,” Sarah said quietly, laying her hand on her friend’s arm, then whispered next to her ear, “that’s a lot of money.”

“Five shillings,” Daisy repeated, staring him down, her eyes sparkling.

“Deal,” Philip said, an amused smile on his lips.

* * *

“Have you heard anything?” Daisy asked as she and Sarah scrubbed the bathtub. “About Lord and Lady Marquina?”

“Not really,” Sarah said, “most of what I know, I know from you anyway.”

“But you must know something I don’t. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Annie lately,” Daisy said thoughtfully.

“Have I?”

“Anything you want to tell me?”

“No,” Sarah said quickly.

“Please, Sarah, you’re right at the source, and you won’t tell me anything?”

“There is not much to tell,” Sarah said.

“She doesn’t tell you anything about Lady Marquina?”

“Not much, no.”

“Then what do you talk about all the time?”

A smile spread across Sarah’s face. “Uhm, you know, just…”

“Just what?”

Sarah seemed to shake herself.

“Just this and that. She said Lady Marquina seems happy.”

“That’s all?” Daisy said incredulously.

“Annie doesn’t like to gossip about her Ladyship. I’m sorry but I really can’t tell you more.”

Daisy eyed her suspiciously.

“Alright,” Daisy said eventually, “but if you do have anything to tell me, please don’t hesitate.”

* * *

“They seemed particularly close these last couple of days,” Tom said, shining one of Lord Marquina’s shoes.

Philip gave him a look.

“He even got her a horse. A fine one, too.”

“That’s nice of him.”

“Nice,” Tom chuckled. “You should have seen his face when she saw the horse.”

“You mean _her_ face?”

“No, _his_. I mean, she was really happy, alright, but the look on Lord Marquina’s face. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’s in love with her.”

“Huh,” Philip made. Maybe Daisy _was_ onto something. “Are you sure?”

Tom grinned. “Very.”

Then, Philip frowned and eyed Tom.

“Did Daisy set you up to this?”

Tom seemed confused. “What do you mean?”

“Never mind.”

* * *

“Annie,” Sarah said and laid a hand on Annie’s arm, “I got something for you.”

“For me?”

Sarah nodded and held out a little package to her. Annie looked at her, a smile forming on her lips.

“You got me a Christmas present?”

Sarah blushed. “It’s not much, but…”

Annie untied the ribbon and unfolded the paper, revealing a book.

“It's my favorite,” Sarah said. "I think you're really going to like it.”

“The White Queen… what is it about?”

“It’s a love story. I don’t want to spoil anything.”

“That’s so thoughtful of you. Thank you!” Annie smiled, coming closer and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I love it!”

The blush on Sarah's cheeks deepened as Annie gave her a brilliant smile and opened the book to read the first pages.

* * *

“Philip, Daisy,” William whispered loudly, “I heard you two have a bet on when Lord and Lady Marquina are going to get together.”

Daisy gave him a look. “Why? What do you want?”

“I want in on that bet.”

“What makes you think we’re just going to let you join?” Daisy said.

“Why do you want to join?” Philip asked.

“Because I am sure it’s going to happen any day now, and I want that money,” William said.

Philip chuckled at William’s forwardness.

“What’s going on over here?” Sarah asked, approaching the table.

“William wants in on the bet,” Daisy said, leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms.

“Oh, I want to join, too,” Jane said, stopping as she passed by on her way to the laundry room.

“Me too,” Sarah said.

“It’s up to you,” Philip said, turning to Daisy.

“Come on, Daisy, let us join,” Sarah said, giving her a pleading look.

Daisy tried to bite back a smile at the face Sarah was making at her. Finally, she couldn’t keep it in anymore and laughed.

“Fine,” she chuckled. Then, she turned to Philip, cocking her head, “I think we can all agree, that I was right now, Philip. There _is_ something going on between Lord and Lady Marquina.”

Philip gave her a grin. “Yes, alright, you were right.”

“Thank you, Philip,” Daisy said sweetly.

They kept looking at each other for a moment, Daisy smiling at him triumphantly, and Philip seemingly not the least bit bothered, grinning back at her.

Sarah grinned and shook her head at them.

“So we can join, right?” William asked, and Daisy and Philip snapped back into the present.

“Yeah, yeah, you can join,” she said and paused to think. She looked around, but there was no sign of Mrs. Wilson or anyone else. Still, she moved closer to the others before he spoke again.

“I think we’re going to have to modify the bet. Everyone should pick a date. Whoever is closest wins.”

“Deal.”

* * *

“What are you guys whispering about over here,” Mrs. Roberts said, approaching the table.

The whispers immediately quieted down.

“Come on now, you can tell me,” Mrs. Roberts said. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

They hesitated, then Mary said, “We’re betting on when Lord and Lady Marquina are going to get together.”

“Daisy and Philip started the bet, but now almost everyone else has joined,” Jane added.

Mrs. Roberts shook her head, smiling.

“At first, the bet was just about whether or not they’re going to get together. Daisy bet Philip five shillings that they would.”

“Five shillings?!” Mrs. Roberts asked.

“Yeah, yeah, but now we’re just betting to see who gets the date right,” Sarah grinned. “Do you want to join?”

“No, I don’t,” Mrs. Roberts said.

“Come on,” Jane said with an encouraging smile.

“Absolutely not, I’m staying out of this,” Mrs. Roberts said, throwing a kitchen towel over her shoulder and turned to go to the kitchen again. “And make sure Mrs. Wilson doesn’t hear about this. I have a feeling she won’t like it.”

* * *

“What aren’t you telling me, Sarah,” Annie asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sarah said evasively.

“Come on, I know you,” she laughed. “You have that look in your eyes.”

“Okay, fine. But you haven’t heard it from me. There is a bet going on.”

Annie frowned. “What kind of bet?”

“When Lord and Lady Marquina are going to get together.”

Annie’s frown dissolved into a smile. “I didn’t know you all were _this_ invested in this relationship.”

“Oh, you don’t even know the half of it,” Sarah grinned.

“So you think they’re going to get together?”

“I’m sure of it.”

Annie just continued smiling and Sarah’s confidence wavered.

“You don’t think so?” Sarah asked.

“My lips are sealed.”

“But you think it’s possible, right?”

Annie gave her a mischievous look. “Maybe.”

Sarah picked up one of the pillows and threw it at Annie.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, laughing. “Stop that!”

“Okay, I’m going to stop,” Sarah said, reaching out a hand for Annie to hand her the pillow back.

Annie bent down to lift the pillow off the ground, but then she threw it back at Sarah, and it hit her in the head as she tried to duck, and she fell over.

“I’m sorry!” Annie exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands to stifle a laugh. Then, she moved over to Sarah’s side of the bed and took her hand in hers and helped her up. “Please don’t be mad, I didn’t mean to hit you in the face!”

But then Sarah broke into laughter as well.

“You’re forgiven,” she said lightly.

“We should get going, our work here is done,” Annie said, reaching for the pillow once more to set it down on the bed.

“Yeah,” Sarah agreed quietly and made a move to leave the room.

“Wait,” Annie said, catching her by the wrist, and Sarah turned back to her. “I can’t let you go out looking like that.”

She moved her hand to the side of Sarah’s face, tucking a few strands that had fallen into her face back behind her ear.

“There,” she said softly. “Now you’re all set.”

* * *

“They sang together in the living room today. And when they had finished… the look on his face.”

There was no response from Mrs. Roberts, so Mrs. Wilson carried on.

“He just looked at her, like nothing else in the world existed. I’ve never seen him like this. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes…”

Mrs. Roberts looked over her shoulder and gave her a knowing smile, then turned back to the stove.

“Aren’t you even going to say anything?”

“No,” Mrs. Roberts said, idly stirring the contents of the pot on the stove, biting back a grin. Only a few seconds passed before she heard Mrs. Wilson’s voice again.

“Alright, then I will say it. You were right about his Lordship.”

Mrs. Roberts gave her a satisfied smile.

“Though I am not at all sure how this happened. I’ve known him almost his whole life. He has never shown any interest in anyone before, and now this?”

“You really shouldn’t be so surprised,” Mrs. Roberts chuckled. “You saw how he was when she went to London, and then he dueled the Count, helped her through withdrawal… if he was any other man, they would already be together.”

“If he was any other man, things would indeed have turned out quite differently.”

* * *

“Isn’t it beautiful out here?” Daisy sighed.

“Cold, too. And all of this just for some firewood.”

Daisy stopped and looked up at him, lightly slapping Philip’s arm.

“Just enjoy it, will you?”

She linked her arm with his, smiling up at him as they continued walking.

“Look how the snow glitters in the light.”

She pointed at a field covered in snow to their right and watched his face as he turned to look in the direction she had indicated.

He smiled and looked back at her.

“You’re right, it’s quite lovely out here.”

They looked at each other for a moment until Daisy released him, and they continued walking to their destination. Daisy couldn’t help but look at him from time to time - a few stolen glances that made her miss a root that had grown out of the ground and she tumbled forward.

“Careful,” Philip called out, grabbed her arm, and held on tightly.

When she had steadied herself and overcome her shock, she looked up at Philip.

“I’m okay. You… you can let go now,” she said, a little breathlessly.

He looked at her for a few more moments, then seemed to shake himself. And when Daisy looked at him again, she noticed that the winter air had added a faint blush to his cheeks.

“Of course,” he said, letting go of her.

“Thank you for helping me.”

“Anytime,” Philip smiled.

They continued their way through the snowy landscape side by side. After a few moments, she had linked arms with him again, and when he looked at her with a questioning look in his eyes, she said quickly, “So I don’t fall.”

* * *

“Did you see them?” Sarah said giddily. “He asked her if she wanted to take a walk with him. And it’s New Year’s Eve – what if they kiss today?”

“They’ve been so close throughout the holidays, I keep expecting them to kiss any minute,” Daisy said.

“Right?” Jane agreed.

“You know what, I’m going in,” they suddenly heard Mrs. Robert’s voice behind them. “I want to bet, too.”

“You want to bet?” Sarah asked incredulously.

“I thought you didn’t want to, absolutely not, you’re staying out of this,” Jane added.

“I changed my mind,” Mrs. Roberts smiled and walked over to Sarah and pointed out a date in her calendar. “That’s the date I choose.”

William glanced over at the date and frowned. “Are you sure? That’s a long time.”

“I know Lord Marquina. I am sure about that date,” Mrs. Roberts repeated resolutely. “Not a day more.”

* * *

“Annie,” Sarah whispered, “do you ever wish that things were different?”

“Different how?”

“Like if we were in a different time, or in a different place…”

Annie seemed to think for a moment.

“No,” she finally said, and Sarah did her best to hide her disappointment.

Annie moved her hand below Sarah’s chin and tilted Sarah’s head up.

“Hey,” she said, looking at her steadily, giving her a smile, “I want to be right here with you.”

She laced her right hand with Sarah’s left and pulled her closer. Annie’s other hand found its way to the side of Sarah’s face, and she gently pulled her face to her own and kissed her.

“The thing is,” Annie whispered, against Sarah’s lips, “we can’t change our circumstances. It’s better to live your life fully than to wish for things to be different. Sometimes… sometimes, you just have to go for what you want and make things different.”

Sarah brought her lips to Annie’s again, soft against her own.

When they parted and Sarah looked at her again, there was something in the way Annie looked at her that made her forget everything else, and she felt like she was floating.


End file.
